Sleigh-brake.



YUNITED STATES i NPATENT OFFICE.

AUGUST CARL PATZER, SANBORN, WISCONSIN.

SLEIGH- BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 681,072, dated August 20, 1901.

Application flied April 17, 190i.

`.To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Beit known that I, AUGUST CARLPATZER,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident light drafting purposes.

This specification is a specific description of one form of the invention, while the claims are definitions of the actual scope thereof.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar charactersof reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a side view of a sleigh to which my invention has been applied. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on the same line,`the parts being shown in a different position; and Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2.

The brake is here shown as applied to the rear runners of a sleigh, although it may be applied to other runners thereof, if desired. The brake is formed of two bars or pins a, which are preferably of the special form shown and which extend vertically through casings or tubes b, arranged in the runners c of the sleigh. These tubes pass vertically through the runners, and the bars at extend p from points above the runners downward to points level Withthe bottom of the runners or, when, the brakes are applied, to points below the runners. Fig. 4 shows the brake pins or bars a in inactive'position, and Fig. 3 shows the brakes applied. The brake-bars thus arranged are held securely and in position easily to be applied. They are protected from fraoturexby engagement with obstructions at the side ofthe sleigh, and when thrown down to active position they engage the beaten track of the roadway, thus having hardened material to bear on as contradistinguished from bearing on the loose snow at the sides of the runners, which objection applies to brakes previously constructed.

For operating the brake rods or bars d I provide levers d, which are fulcrumed on brackets e, attached to a stable part of the sleigh,

Serial No. 56,218. (No model.)

and these levers are connected with a brakechain f, leading over a guide-sheave g forwardly to a rod f. This rod f is connected to a lever t', fulcrumed on a vertical axis under the body or boX of the sleigh. A handlever h is mounted at the side of the sleigh and connected to the lever t'. By throwing the lever h the levers d may be raised at their inner ends from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 3, thus throwing down the outer ends of the levers and projecting the rods ct into engagement with the earth or snow beneath the runners. Any suitable means may be provided for retracting the brake rods or pins. The levers d, having their inner arms longer than their outer arms, Will naturally fall to the inactive position., (shown in Fig. 2,) and, if desired, the levers may be weighted or actuated by other means to keep the brakes normally inactive. When the sleigh is loaded high, so that the lever h cannot be reached from the top of the load, the bar f may be disconnected from the chain and a second chain attached, which second chain may be led up to the top of the load to permit applying the brakes from this point.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentl. A sleigh-brake, comprising brake rods or pins carried in vertical passages in the sleigh-runners and movable to engage the surface directly under the runners, levers connected at their outer ends to the brake rods or pins, the inner ends of the levers being heavier than the outer endsI to normallyhold the brake rods or pins in inactive position, and means connected with said inner ends of the levers to move the same to apply the brakes.

2. The combination with a sleigh and the runners having vertical openings extending through the runners, of brake rods or pins movable vertically in said openings to engage the surface beneath the runners, brake-levers fulcrumed on a fixed support and each having an outer arm connected with the respective brake rod or pin, a brake-chain connected with the inner arms of said levers and passing over a pulley and means for operating the brake-chain.

3. A sleigh-brake, comprising a tube or cas- IDO ing fitted in the sleigh-runnerv and opening at the top and bottom of the runner,a brake rod or pin mounted in said tube orcasing and movable vertically to engage the surface beneath the runner, a transversely-extending brakelever fulcrumed at one side of its center and having its outer or short arm connected with the said brake rod or pin, the inner or long' arm of the lever being heavier than the short arm, to normally hold the brake rod or pin in rinactive position, and means connected With the long arm for moving the lever to apply the brake.

4. A sleigh-brake, comprising a brake rod or pin carried in a passage in the sleigh-runner and movable vertically to engage the surface directly under the runner, the upper end of the passage through the runner being contracted and the rod or pin having a reduced end extending through the said contracted end of the passage.

5. The combination With a sleigh-runner, of a tube or casing'fitted in an opening in the runner and opening at the top and bottom of the runner, the upper end of said tube being contracted, a brake rod or pin mounted in said tube orlcasing and having its upper end reduced and extending through the contracted end of the tube, a brakelever connected with the reduced end of the pin or rod, and means for actuating the lever, to vapply the brake.

6. The combination with a sleigh, and the runners having Vertical openings, of brake rods or pins movable in said openings in the runners, transversely-extending brake-levers having their outer ends connected with the brakefrodsor pins, a brake-chain connected with the inner ends of said levers and passing over -a pulley, a rod connected at its rear end with the said chain, a lever connected with the forward end of the rod, and a hand-lever connected .with the last-mentioned lever.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

- AUGUST CARL PATZER.

Witnesses:

HUGH MCDONALD, A. D. MODONALD. 

